Kristian Lyng - tors. D. 9/5-13 Engelsk A 3.

Big Brother isnt watching you

We all know that the Government is watching us. Everywhere we go cameras are watching us, so Big Brother knows what we are doing. But is Big Brother really watching us the whole time? Isnt Big Brother busy taking care with its own problems? In the text Big Brother isnt watching you the famous British actor and writer Russell Brand writes about the problems about the riots and how the Government treats the riots. First of all, I find it important to clarify who Russell Brand is and how he is related to the riots in UK 2011. Russell Brand is a famous comedy actor, instructor and most important is this context, a writer. Right know he is settled in Los Angeles in a combination of love and money(page 1, line 1-2), but he is originally from Essex, England. He admits himself that he has a background being a rebel and he even has been Arrested for criminal damage (page 3, line 63). He loved when the protests lost direction(page 3, line 65), but it was never his cup of tea(page 3, line 70). This information can be used to defend him and all the questions about him talking about a subject that he really cant relate to. We also know that he had worked for the BBC and reality TV and he therefore know a little bit about how the young people behave today. The whole commentary on the riots is in other words his reason why the riots were going on in the UK 2011. One of the first points is that Russell Brand knows that one of the problems about the young people doing these riots isnt only money or education, but also direction. He knows that the young people having a hard time finding the right direction, exactly as him back in the days. Further his states that this lack of direction(Page 4, line 75), is caused by the government, because the government existed not to look after the interests of the people it was elected to represent but the big businesses that they were in bed with(Page 4, line 76-77) which means that according to Russell Brand the riots was going of for so long because of the Governments lack of actions. He means that the Government was

Kristian Lyng - tors. D. 9/5-13 Engelsk A 3.c busy doing other things than tacking care of the society and especially the younger generation. The Government lack of actions leads me to my next point in Russell Brands text, the word self-interest. Todays young people are according to Russell Brand forced to motivate themselves because of the demotivating and almost melancholy messages and statements they have to live with day in and day out. That daily, hourly, incessantly enforces the egregious, deceitful message that you are what you wear, what you drive, what you watch and what you watch it on, in livid, neon pixels. (Page 3, line 87-89). Today the younger generation is being raised with the idea of having no stake in society(page 4, line 103). Therefore the younger people are again forced to do absolutely nothing causing a tear apart of the community, like we see with the riots. The big message is not only directed to the rebels, but also the government. "Be the change you want to see in the world."(Page 4, line 12-13). According to Russell Brand, being the change you want to see in the world includes responsibility not only for yourself, but also for the people around you. If we want to live in a society where people feel included, we must include them, where they feel represented, we must represent them and where they feel love and compassion for their communities then we, the members of that community, must find love and compassion for them. (Page 4, line 114-117). Russell brand writes in a way, which is very sarcastic and ironic. Wow! Thanks guys! What a wonderful use of the planet's fast-depleting oxygen resources.(Page, 2 line 51-52) These lines indicate how he sees the problematic about how the government treats the riots and how they have removed the focus from themselves and transferred it to the riots. He is off course a comedian, so this style of writing is very typical and foreseeable. What comes with a sarcastic and ironic way of writing also indicates that he is a bit sceptical about the Government and the politicians who are involved. It is therefore obvious that he takes the rebel position and takes the Government and the politicians responsible for the riots. The fact that Russell Brand is on the

Kristian Lyng - tors. D. 9/5-13 Engelsk A 3.c rioters site is causing him to blaming a lot of others persons for several things. How should we describe the actions of the city bankers who brought our economy to its knees in 2010? Altruistic? Mindful? Kind? But then again, they do wear suits, so they deserve to be bailed out, perhaps that's why not one of them has been imprisoned(Page 4, line 97-100). This quote really shows how mad he is about the fact that the riots is being blamed for the riots and not the Government, because he cant understand why the city-bankers wasnt punished for the economic-crisis. This again has something to do with his attitude to the upper class versus under class. Here he is taking the position of the under class, which he means were treated badly by the Government. His style of writing is also very frankly and several times he is using bad language to underline his point. No wonder they have their fucking hoods up. (Page 3, line 90) and And they got away with a lot more than a few fucking pairs of trainers.(Page 4, line 100-101). It is a very modern and informal language and has a hint of slang Old Bill (Page 3, line 69). This again really shows the reader where his position is. As I have mention before, Russell Brands big message in the text isnt just that it is the rebels fault that the riots happened. The big responsibility is at the Government and the politicians. With the statement he gives us a new perspective at the riots in UK 2011. The statement is a criticism to the society and the Government. There is still big difference in the upper- and under class, people doesnt want to do anything for each other and people are self-motivated. What we really need is to help each other, starting with ourselves, and together create a better society. Because as the situation is right now, there is no "Big Brother" who is watching us and we must therefore fix our own problems. And as the Gandhi quote in the text says, we actually have to make the change by ourselves. Kristian Lyng 3.c